Tokyo is getting its own High Line-like elevated pedestrian walkway, marking a nascent shift in the city’s emphasis on automobile supremacy.

1. Tagged with
2. “urban
3. design”

• 🏫 We had the opportunity to observe two of Leo's classes. Unfortunately it means all of the kids have to go to school on a Saturday. I have no idea the students could concentrate with all of the parents standing around / in the back of the class.
  
  Leo did well, at first. He's participating, which is good. However as class went on, he motioned for us to come sit by him (we can't). After the first class there was a 20 minute break where Leo showed us around the school. However, with it being a Saturday, he was ready to go home and started complaining and getting upset he couldn't go home when we did. That in turn distracted him for a large portion of the second class as he tried to calm himself down and hid between his textbook to wipe away some tears.
  
  It got us thinking a lot about education and the school Leo should go to. For now, a Japanese public school is fine. But long-term should we try to get him into an international school?  They're stupid expensive, but I think they'd better prepare him for the future. I don't want him just to memorize things...
• 🇺🇸/🇬🇧 Speaking of international, without urging from us, Leo has been expressed desire to take Eiken (an English proficiency  exam). He's been studying for it at home and he's crushing it. On one the listening tests he got 19 out of 20 questions right. Go boyo!
• ㉀ The annual Totsuka festival was held at Meiji-gakuin in Totsuka and we attended it. When in uni, I went to this campus for a year on study abroad and it hit me right in the feels. Mostly a mix of nostalgia and thinking about that alternative timeline where I continued on and became a professor of geography (so so glad I didn't).
  
  The campus is far enough away from the bustle of Totsuka and surrounded by green that can really think out there. That part I did miss. Sometimes I wish I could visit and just study in the library (granted, need the time to study first).
  

  

  
  We ran into one of Leo's pre-school friends at the festival, so Leo had a friend to hang out with. This festival itself is focused on the SDGs (sustainable developer goals), with booths related to NGOs that work with developing countries and displays to learn about electricity usage (and the importance of conserving electricity).